In 1901 the Rock Island Railroad established a camp for the construction crew here in what was popularly known as "Six Shooter Siding" after numerous shootings. Several settlements moved closer to the new railroad and enlarged the camp, which was officially called "Douglas", then from 1908 Tucumcari after the mountain of the same name. According to legends, the name comes from the unfulfilled love between Tocom and the chief's daughter Kari, who is said to have lost her beloved in a duel for tribal leadership and then took her own life. The chief's desperate exclamation "Tocom, Kari" echoed off the mountains, which now stand as a symbol of unrequited love. Other sources see the name as a modification of the word "view" from the language of the Comanche tribe.
neon signs
Tucumcari hasn't lost its 1940s charm over the years. Hardly any other city has so many glowing neon signs for the numerous restaurants and motels that line Route 66 like a string of pearls.